Maryland Forest Food Web
A food chain is a model that shows how energy is passed, in the form of food, from one
organism to another. A series of connected food chains make up a food web. Food chains and
webs are organized by trophic levels which are feeding positions in the web. At each level of
the food chain, energy is lost because it is used by the organism itself for respiration. This
energy loss limits the number of steps within a food chain.
The lowest trophic level contains the producers (autotrophs) which manufacture their own
food and the decomposers which break down existing organic material. Plants generally fall
into producer category while fungi are typically decomposers. The organisms which feed on
plants and other producers are then considered to be primary consumers. Anything that eats a
primary consumer is then considered to be a secondary consumer. Animals that eat secondary
consumers are known as tertiary consumers. Food chains and food webs are, therefore,
comprised of multiple predator and prey relationships.
Larry Hogan, Governor; Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio, Secretary
dnr.maryland.gov/wildlife/
April 2020
Image Credit: Food web graphics are courtesy of Tracey Saxby, Kim Kraeer, Lucy Van Essen-Fishman, and Jane
Hawkey, Integration and Application Network, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
(ian.umces.edu/imagelibrary/).
Simple Food Chain Diagram
Producer
Primary
Consumer
Secondary
Consumer
Tertiary
Consumer
Forest Food Web
____________________
____________________
____________________
Label the trophic levels and add arrows to depict the flow of energy.
____________________
Producers
Primary consumers
Secondary consumers
Tertiary consumers
Forest Food Web Key
Eastern Coyote
Tertiary Consumer
Eats: Small mammals, plants,
fawns (occasionally)
Barred Owl
Tertiary Consumer
Eats:
Small mammals, other
birds
Red Fox
Secondary Consumer
Eats:
Small mammals, birds,
plants
Eastern Ratsnake
Secondary Consumer
Eats:
Small mammals, birds,
and eggs
Big Brown Bat
Secondary Consumer
Eats:
Moths, beetles,
grasshoppers, and other
insects
White-tailed Deer
Primary Consumer
Eats:
Plants
Eastern Cottontail
Primary Consumer
Eats:
Plants
White
-
footed Deer Mouse
Primary Consumer
Eats:
Plants
Pigeon
Primary Consumer
Eats:
Plants, seeds, and nuts
Forest Food Web Cards
Grasshopper
Primary Consumer
Eats:
Plants, seeds, and nuts
Sedge
Producer
Black-eyed Susan
Producer
Holly
Producer
Indiangrass
Producer
White Oak
Producer
________________
__________________
Eats:
___________________
_______________________
________________
__________________
Eats:
___________________
_______________________
________________
__________________
Eats:
_________________
___________________
_
Forest Food Web Cards
Eastern Coyote
Trophic level:
Eats:
Barred Owl
Trophic level:
Eats:
Red Fox
Trophic level:
Eats:
Eastern Ratsnake
Trophic level:
Eats:
Big Brown Bat
Trophic level:
Eats:
White-tailed Deer
Trophic level:
Eats:
Eastern Cottontail
Trophic level:
Eats:
White
-
footed Deer Mouse
Trophic level:
Eats:
Pigeon
Trophic level:
Eats:
Forest Food Web Cards
Grasshopper
Trophic level:
Eats:
Sedge
Trophic level:
Black-eyed Susan
Trophic level:
Holly
Trophic level:
Indiangrass
Trophic level:
White Oak
Trophic level:
________________
Trophic level:
Eats:
________________
Trophic level:
Eats:
________________
Trophic level:
Eats:
Forest Food Web Cards
